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If properly conducted, a survey of public opinion popularly called a poll can capture the opinions of 300 million citizens by Interviewing as few as 1,500 of them. Random sampling: Method of selecting from a population in which each person has an equal probability of being selected. No poll, whatever it ask and however worded, can provide us with a reasonably accurate measure of how people think or feel unless the n voter or adult has an equal chance of being interviewed. Sampling error: The difference between the results of random samples taken at the same time.
For example, if one random sample shows that 70 percent of all American prove of the way the president is handling his Job, and another random sample take en at the same time shows that 65 percent do, the sampling error is 5 percent. Exit polls: Polls based on interviews conducted on Election Day with randomly selected voters. Since 1952 every major poll has in fact picked the winner of the presidential election. Likewise, exit polls, interviews with randomly selected voters conducted at polling places on election day in a representative sample of voting districts, have Provo en quite accurate.
Political colonization: Process by which background traits influence one’s political views. Studies tell us that people with certain characteristics in common sometimes h old certain political beliefs in common. By no means do people with similar or even virtue ally identical family histories, religious affiliations, formal educations, or Job experiences t hint or vote exactly the same way on all or most issues. But political colonization the process by which personal and other background traits influence one’s views about politics and government matters.
It is behind the fact that children tend to share their parents’ political orientations and party affiliations. Elite: People who have a disproportionate amount of some valued resource. Elite is a term used by social scientists to refer to people who have a disproportionate amount of some valued resource money, schooling, prestige, political power, etc. Not only do political elites know more about politics than the rest of us, they think differently ABA UT it they have different views and beliefs. Gender gap: Difference in political views between men and women.